


Questions and Answers

by Miri1984



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff competition entry, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:13:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22337599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miri1984/pseuds/Miri1984
Summary: Set during one of Basira’s season 2 visits to the archive. (This was the OTHER entry)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 60
Collections: The Fluff Archives





	Questions and Answers

** SC1.  **

** INTERIOR: ARCHIVAL ASSISTANT'S OFFICE, DAY **

** SOUNDS OF PAPERS RUSTLING, COMPUTER KEYBOARDS. **

** MARTIN **

Tea's cold. Want another?

** TIM **

Mmmm.

** SOUNDS OF MARTIN GETTING UP FROM HIS DESK,MOVING AROUND THE ROOM, A KETTLE BOILING AND TEA BEING PREPARED **

** TIM **

Have you got the follow up details for the Badden case?

** MARTIN **

Oh. On the shelf behind the... here I'll get them.

** MORE MOVEMENT AND PAPER, A CUP IS PUT ON A DESK,SOUNDS OF TEA BEING SIPPED **

** MORE MOVEMENT AND A DOOR OPENS **

** BASIRA **

Uh.... hello?

** TIM **

**(BRIGHTLY)** Detective Hussain!

** BASIRA **

Um. Yes?

** TIM **

So nice to see you again. Are you looking for John?

** BASIRA **

Yeah. Is he in?

** MARTIN **

I think he's recording at the moment if you...

** TIM **

Oh I'm sure he won't mind being interrupted you can...

** MARTIN **

No he said he didn't want anyone to...

** TIM **

**(ANNOYED)** When something's important, Martin, he doesn't mind being interrupted.

** MARTIN **

Well actually he does... mind? You know how... short tempered he can be if someone interrupts him when he's recording a statement.

** BASIRA **

It's fine. I can wait.

** TIM **

** (SIGHS IN EXASPERATION) **

** THERE IS A PAUSE. MORE GENERAL OFFICE SOUNDS. **

** MARTIN **

I just made tea if you'd like some? Kettle should still be hot it's no trouble I can...

** BASIRA **

No. Thanks. I'm fine.

** PAUSE **

** TIM **

So how's work?

** BASIRA **

What?

** TIM **

How's... you know.... work? Any luck catching our deranged killer of archivists?

** MARTIN **

Tim you know she's probably not allowed to talk about the case.

** TIM **

Really?

** MARTIN **

I mean we're still technically suspects. Aren't we?

** BASIRA **

Well..

** TIM **

I guess we'd know, wouldn't we, if you'd arrested someone. You'd frog march us out of here in handcuffs, right Detective? In the name of Justice And The Law. Not that any of us did it, of course.

** BASIRA **

If we make an arrest I can guarantee you'll hear about it. Yeah.

** PAUSE **

** MARTIN **

So are you here to talk about the case with John? Any leads on who might have...

** TIM **

You're the one who reminded us that the Detective isn't really allowed to talk about the case, Martin.

** BASIRA **

Yeah we're really not supposed to be...

** SOUND OF THE ARCHIVIST'S DOOR OPENING. **

** MARTIN **

He'll have finished his recording now, Detective, if you want to go on in.

** BASIRA **

Yeah. Thanks.

** SOUND OF BASIRA LEAVING,DOOR OF THE ARCHIVIST'S OFFICE CLOSING **

** MARTIN **

Why did you do that?

** TIM **

What?

** MARTIN **

The thing. With your thumbs? Why did you do that?

** TIM **

**(LAUGHING SOFTLY)** Just giving her a bit of encouragement.

** MARTIN **

Encouragement? For what? Being police?

** TIM **

No. Not for being police. For... you know. For her and John.

** MARTIN **

I'm sorry, what?

** TIM **

You do know about them, right?

** MARTIN **

Know what?

** TIM **

About John and the Detective. Why she keeps coming round to "talk" to him.

** MARTIN **

Yeah, because she's  investigating a murder.

** TIM **

Yeah. Right.  Investigating a murder.

** MARTIN **

Yes. That's exactly what she's doing. Because there was a murder, right, we found Gertrude's body and the police are trying to find out who did it. Because that's their job.

** TIM **

No reason she can't have fun along the way though.

** MARTIN **

What? What are you talking about?

** TIM **

The Detective. And John.

** MARTIN **

**(FRUSTRATED)** What about them?

** TIM **

They're... you know.

** MARTIN **

No I don't know, obviously, or I wouldn't be asking you!

** TIM **

They're **(VOICE LOWERS)** together.

** LONG PAUSE **

** MARTIN **

What?

** TIM **

John and the Detective are... going out? Dating? Seeing one another. In the romantic sense. Am I speaking a different language or something here Martin, are you seriously not seeing what I'm seeing?

** MARTIN **

No.

** TIM **

What you can't tell me you haven't noticed the way he's behaving around her. And the way she's behaving around him! I mean you just need to look at them to see what's going on.

** MARTIN **

You can't be serious. They're not... they wouldn't... they  can't  be...

** TIM **

They are. John all but confirmed it the other day.

** MARTIN **

He didn't.

** TIM **

Did so. She's been coming round to see him every week or so. The last time she was here I asked him and he said they were...

** MARTIN **

Oh really? Okay what did he say? What did he say  exactly.

** TIM **

He said they were dating.

** MARTIN **

He said "Detective Hussain and I are currently dating" did he? Come on Tim you know that's something John would  never  say even if he  was  dating someone.

** TIM **

Well, okay so maybe he didn't say that exactly. Not in so many words. But you know how John is with this sort of thing he never does open up much and you kind of have to interpret how...

** MARTIN **

Yeah. Yeah I do know how he is. Which is why this is ridiculous, Tim. You've seen him since the Prentiss attack, he barely leaves his office, I have to remind him to eat, he's just ... always in there with his tapes and his files and his ... John-ness...

** TIM **

And sometimes with the Detective.

** MARTIN **

Because she's investigating a murder!

** TIM **

Mmmmmm hmmmmm.

** SILENCE FOR A FEW MOMENTS,CONSPICUOUSLY WITHOUT ANY OFFICE SOUNDS.EVENTUALLY WE HEAR SOMEONE SIPPING TEA. **

** TIM **

So what's she coming round to talk to him about if it's not...

** MARTIN **

**(INTERRUPTING)** Oh I don't know, maybe aspects of the case? You know, checking our alibis, sorting through whatever's left of Gertrude's personal effects in the office, checking out the tunnels? You know. Investigating. There must be loads of stuff John can help her with. Loads of stuff she still has to... look into. At the institute. In John's office. With John.

** TIM **

Mmmhmm.

** MARTIN **

They're not dating! He would have told us!

** A LONG PAUSE WHERE WE CAN IMAGINE THE LOOK THAT TIM IS GIVING MARTIN PRETTY WELL I THINK **

** MARTIN **

All right, we can settle this easily. I'll... ask her. When she comes out.

** TIM **

**(INCREDULOUS)** Really?

** MARTIN **

Yeah. Sure. Really. No reason why we shouldn't be curious, right? I mean he's our friend, isn't he? Or our boss. We... like to know stuff about our boss. 

** TIM **

Yeah. Sure.

** A PAUSE WHERE WE CAN HERE THE BACKGROUND SOUNDS OF BASIRA AND JOHN FROM EPISODE 52[EXCEPTIONAL RISK] TALKING BUT NOT MAKE OUT THE WORDS. **

** TIM **

They're certainly talking a lot.

** MARTIN **

They're allowed to talk.

** TIM **

Just not anything else, huh.

** MARTIN **

Can we not?

** TIM **

Not what?

** MARTIN **

Not GOSSIP. They're just in the next room it feels...wrong.

** TIM **

Come on, it's been ages since we've had a good bit of office gossip. You can't tell me you're not enjoying this.

** MARTIN **

There was a MURDER, Tim.

** TIM **

You're such a downer these days, Martin.

** MARTIN **

Yeah well, it's not exactly been a happy working environment since we were all attacked by worms, has it?

** TIM **

Exactly. Which is why this is fun. Lighten up a little bit! 

** MARTIN **

**(DEFENSIVELY)** I'm light. I'm...super light. Happy go lucky. That's me. I just don't think gossiping about John's... romantic entanglements is necessarily the best use of our time, that's all.

** TIM **

You'd rather gossip about mine?

** MARTIN **

Can't gossip about something when you already know all the details, can you?

** TIM **

Harsh. **(SMALL PAUSE, THEN HAPPILY)** But fair. Any way if you refuse to acknowledge what's right in front of your nose I guess there's no hope for you.

** MARTIN **

I told you, I'm going to ask her. When she comes out. 

** ANOTHER PAUSE, THIS TIME THERE ARE SOUNDS OF WORK BEING DONE. **

** TIM **

Want to bet on whether they are or not?

** MARTIN **

No! That's... that wouldn't be appropriate, Tim.

** TIM **

A tenner says they're dating.

** MARTIN **

I'm not going to...

** TIM **

Five then. I'll buy you a pint if I'm wrong.

** MARTIN **

**(LOUDLY)** I'm  not  going to bet with you on whether or not John is  dating the detective , Tim!

** AS MARTIN SPEAKS THE DOOR TO JOHN'S OFFICE OPENS AGAIN. **

** TIM **

**(BRIGHTLY)** All done then, Detective? Can we help you with anything else?

** BASIRA **

**(SLOWLY)** What's... going on out here?

** TIM **

Oh, nothing, nothing, just keeping busy in the archives, you know how it is, all this... archiving of stuff. Martin and I we just... chug along. Do our job. Don't we Martin?

** MARTIN **

** (LAUGHING NERVOUSLY) **

** BASIRA **

Okay. I'll just be going then. 

** TIM **

Fine. Fine. **(UNDER HIS BREATH TO MARTIN)** Go on then.

** MARTIN **

**(WHISPERING)** Shut up.

** TIM **

**(WHISPERING)** I'll do it if you don't.

** MARTIN **

**(WHISPERING,HARSH)** It's not important just let it go.

** TIM **

**(WHISPERING)** Not a chance. **(OUT LOUD)** Before you go, Detective, I think Martin here had a question he wanted to ask, didn't you Martin?

** MARTIN **

**(TO TIM)** I swear to god, Tim I'm...

** BASIRA **

You had a question?

** MARTIN **

It's not important.

** TIM **

Oh come on, Martin, you said you'd...

** MARTIN **

**(IN A RUSH)** Are you and John...

** PAUSE **

** BASIRA **

What?

** MARTIN **

You know are you... and John. Um. Seeing each other?

** LONG PAUSE **

** BASIRA **

I mean, I just came out of his office...

** TIM **

I think what Martin's trying to ask is whether or not you and our boss are...

** MARTIN **

**(PROBABLY WITH HIS FACE IN HIS HANDS)** God, Tim.

** BASIRA **

I'm investigating the uh... there's a case going on. You do know that right? We're investigating the murder of Gertrude Robinson. So yeah, sometimes I have to...

** TIM **

Martin wants to know if you and John are seeing each other romantically.

** MARTIN **

**(WHISPERING)** Christ.

** LENGTHY PAUSE **

** BASIRA **

Right. Um. I.. Uh... I have to go. Now. Right now actually there's a thing... at the station... with the... police... thing. So I'm just going to... I'm leaving. Okay? (UNDER HER BREATH) This place is so fucking weird...

** TIM **

Are you sure Detective, there's still some... tea...

** SOUNDS OF BASIRA HASTILY EXITING THE BUILDING. **

** BASIRA **

**(DISTANT, ON HER WAY OUT)** Bye.

** PAUSE. SOUND OF TEA BEING SIPPED AGAIN. **

** TIM **

** (TAKES A DEEP BREATH)  **

** MARTIN **

Don't.

** TIM **

I'm just saying...

** MARTIN **

Just don't.

** TIM **

...saying that I think you probably...

** MARTIN **

Tim seriously if you...

** TIM **

...owe me a pint. Yeah?

** MARTIN **

Shut up, Tim.


End file.
